The back and forth over tariffs continues to seemingly put Canada, one of the United States’ closest allies, on edge and with “elbows up.”

“It's not good to fight with your neighbors,” said Prashant Ghorpade, a resident of Hamilton, Ontario.

Conversations over tariffs aren’t just happening in the U.S.

“Canada has always been standing with the United States," Ghorpade said. "Right from the Second World War till, say, yesterday.”

If you take a 90-minute ride across the border from Buffalo, you end up in Hamilton.

“People call this the gateway to New York,” said Ghorpade.

It’s a place that’s feeling the impact of President Trump’s tariffs.

“We're Canada's steel capital. We have 30,000 manufacturing jobs, so that's about 20% more than a typical Canadian city in terms of those jobs in manufacturing," said Greg Dunnett, the president and CEO for the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. "We're in the top 10, if not the top five communities impacted.” 

The chamber of commerce says people are going into survival mode.

“About 40% of businesses have halted their expansion plans," Dunnett said. "Beyond the short-term impacts of potential job loss, what we're seeing is the slowing and the delaying of growth initiatives and opportunities.”

Canadians have made their dislike of tariffs known.

“What [Trump’s] doing right now is diminishing everything that's been already built,” said Hamilton resident Justin Bartlet.

People are booing the U.S. national anthem and canceling travel plans to the states.

“The Canadian government has imposed retaliatory tariffs," said Ghorpade. "Both the leaderships are trying to stare into each other's eyes.”

The goodwill that the two countries have historically had is now seemingly eroding.

“I used to think that it's a ‘bro-code’ relationship. However, now it seems like it's an on-and-off affair between a toxic girlfriend and a toxic boyfriend,” laughed Ghorpade. 

As the 100-day mark of the Trump presidency approaches, those who have supported the president from the other side of the border say they now have concerns.

“Why Canada got targeted out of nowhere is beyond me, and I'm a Trump fan. I was in 2016. Trump all the way," said Hamilton resident Scott Chrest. "Even now, I'm still a fan of Trump, but he's doing a lot of things that make me uneasy.”

Not being able to rely on the U.S. as a trading partner has them looking to places like Europe, but also within.

“It has historically been easier to trade with the United States than it has been to trade inter-provincially," said Dunnett. "Those barriers are being broken down in our country right now.”

Which, in the long run, could be a good thing for Canada.

“You got to be able to fend for yourself," added Chrest. "It's a kick in the pants that we all need.”

It might be a good thing for the U.S. as well.  

The president says the hope is that these tariffs restore economic freedom for the U.S. 

However, while both countries trade taxes to figure out what works best, there is still a lot of uncertainty about where that will leave the relationship in the end.

“Your best friend may be on the other football team, but [when] you're in the heat of battle, we're at odds with the other team," said Dunnett. "After the game, hopefully... we can get back to normal, [but] I think there's going to be an impact to trust.”

President Trump also said taxes on Canada and Mexico will help further the security of the border to the north. His goals are to stop illegal immigration and fentanyl from entering the country via New York. The same goes for the southern border.

Just as Americans have, and will continue to, make their voices heard at the ballot box, Canadians are choosing their own path as well. In 10 days, they will elect a new leader. People Spectrum News 1 spoke to said that’s been impacted by the Trump presidency, with many seeing their votes as an endorsement or rebuke of how things have gone in the U.S., and with Canada so far.